Manchester United defender Ferdinand retires from international football
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has represented England 81 times, but not since June 2011.
The 34-year-old's
retirement follows the farce that ensued in March when he was recalled
by England manager Roy Hodgson for the World Cup qualifiers against San
Marino and Montenegro, only for Ferdinand to quickly withdraw due to his
"pre-planned fitness program" with his club.
In a statement released
by the English Football Association, Ferdinand explained that he wanted
to retire from international football to "concentrate on my club
career."
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"After a great deal of
thought, I have decided the time is right for me to retire from
international football," added Ferdinand, who has not played for England
since a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland in June 2011.
"The team looks in great
shape and there is an influx of young, talented players coming through
the ranks which bodes well for the future.
"I regard it as a great honor and a privilege to have represented my country at every level from Under-17s upwards.
"I have always been very proud to play for England. I would like to wish Roy and the team all the best for future tournaments.
"A big thank you to all
the fans, managers, coaching staff and players that I have worked
alongside - the journey has been incredible."
In October, Hodgson was
forced to apologize to Ferdinand after an English newspaper reported he
had told fellow commuters during a tube journey on London's underground
that the Manchester United defender's international career was over.
Ferdinand had been
controversially left out of England's squad for Euro 2012 despite the
United defender expressing his desire to add to his 81 international
caps.
After leaving Ferdinand
out of his Euro 2012 squad, Hodgson opted to take Chelsea captain John
Terry, though the defender had been due in court to face allegations he
racially abused Rio's brother, Anton Ferdinand.
Hodgson insisted it was
purely a football decision and Terry was cleared in July. But he was
banned for four matches on the same charge by the FA and announced his
retirement from international football.
After making his debut
against Cameroon at Wembley in 1997, Ferdinand went on to win 81 caps
for England, playing in three World Cups.
"It's important to pay
tribute to someone of Rio's stature and the achievements he had in a
senior international career with England over 14 years at the highest
level," said Hodgson
"To have captained his
country, to play at three World Cups and indeed score in one of those,
marks him out amongst a very special group of players.
"I appreciated the call
from Rio to inform me of his decision, which clearly he had spent much
time considering before reaching this point."
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